I have been immersing myself in the teachings that Sacred Pregnancy offers. There is a focus on slowing down and honouring each moment of pregnancy. Too often so much attention is given to the nitty gritty details and ‘medical’ view of what is happening to a womans’ body and how big the baby is and what part they are growing at that point in time.

I think that there is a time and place for knowing the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy, but more focus can certainly be given to the emotional connection and a more heart-centered approach to being pregnant.

It is for this reason that I am going to endeavour to bring more balance to the information I share. Some food for the soul as well as the ever inquisitive mind!

Nurture your mind

For the factual component this month, I will be looking at ‘due dates’. If you are pregnant, you have probably worked out your estimated due date (EDD). You may have even been given a few dates of when your baby may come. First and foremost, it’s important to reiterate that a due date is not an ‘expiry date’. Babies have their own agenda and each woman is unique in the time it takes to grow a baby. It can be helpful to consider your ‘due month’ as opposed to a single date because 40 weeks is ‘just an average’.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, full term is considered anywhere from 39 weeks to 41 weeks gestation. When you hear women say they were ‘late’, they usually mean they went past the date their doctor or midwife told them to expect the baby. It can be helpful when sharing your ‘due date’ with friends and family to give yourself a bit of extra time. This way you won’t be bombarded with phone calls asking if you’ve ‘had your baby yet?’. This pressure to perform can stop things from starting in the first place!

Nurture your body

As the weather starts to warm up and the days are that bit longer, it can be extra motivating to bring in more movement into your day. Activities like yoga, gentle walks or dancing to a favourite song all help enliven your body and get your blood pumping around. Maybe you can ask a friend to join you for an afternoon walk so you feel extra motivated?

Nurture your soul

This months activity involves creating a special altar or shrine. It is important to have a space that you can call your own. It acts as a reminder of the special work you are doing to grow new life and also helps you to take time out to relax. No matter how busy your life is, taking 5 minutes at the beginning or end of the day to simply sit and breathe can help you keep things on track and help keep you positive. It helps you to connect in with your baby and help you connect on a spiritual level.Choose somewhere quiet in your home that you can call your own. Create an altar with things like fresh flowers, a crystal, a candle and any other special items that help you remember to slow down and acknowledge the amazing work you are doing to grow a baby. Take a moment each day to sit down and focus on your breathing. You can light a candle and set an intention. You may like to choose an oracle card with a message for this time. Connect in with your breathing and connect in to your baby. Another nice thing to do is play a song that helps you slow down. Keeping a journal nearby can be useful for helping process what feelings are coming up and it can be a nice keepsake that you may share with your child when they are older. It is helpful if you set a reminder alarm on your phone for the same time each day so that you can get into a routine of taking 5 minutes out to yourself.

Nurture your pregnancy

I am now taking bookings for the ‘nurture your pregnancy’ group. This will be a holistic pregnancy group focussed on nurturing and relaxation. It is being held on Thursday evenings at Nurture (Upstairs 115 Keen St, Lismore) from 5.30pm-7pm. The first part of the evening will be an activity based on the Sacred Pregnancy movement and then it will be followed by a ‘sound bath’ that helps you connect with your baby and leave you feeling refreshed and deeply relaxed. For bookings- go here